1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heating stage for a micro-sample, which is used for efficient heating and observation of a sample as subjected to a micro-sampling process by an instrument for observation based on a focused ion beam process.
2. Description of the Related Art
The heating and observation of a powder sample, when performed for the heating and observation of a given micro-sample, involves fixing the powder sample directly on a coil heater for heating, thereby carrying out the heating and observation.
This is an effective means for the heating and observation of the powder sample because the heater also serves as a part for fixing the powder sample and thus the sample is directly heated and hence affected little by removal of heat in an atmosphere of vacuum in a sample chamber of an electron microscope (See Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 6-44936).
On the other hand, the heating and observation of a solid sample has difficulty in fixing the solid sample directly to the coil heater because of the properties of the sample such as the shape thereof, and thus involves adopting a fixing method, such as molding the coil heater in any given shape to fix the sample on top of the molded heater or employing a double-heater construction to sandwich the sample in between the heaters, thereby carrying out the heating and observation (See Japanese Patent No. 3663056).
In addition, the heating and observation of a micro-sample subjected to micro-sampling (see Japanese Patent No. 2774884) involves fixing the micro-sample on a sample stage for use in an instrument for observation based on a focused ion beam process, what is called a notch mesh, and applying indirect heating to the sample, with the mesh contacted with the same molded heater as that for the solid sample, thereby carrying out the observation.